Gunpowder and Lead
by colossus.key
Summary: She was dragged into this life against her will, but now she thrives in it. She's one of the best, and Ross prides himself on having the best of the best on his team. OCxTollRoad
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: So this is my first Expendables story. I saw the movie a few days ago and fell in love with it. Its rated M for violence, language and sexuality. So if that's not your cup of tea, hit the back button! Also I don't own The Expendables, though if anyone knows where I can get Jason Statham or Rand Couture, please tell me J.

This must be what hell looks like. That thought must've flew through my head a hundred times. Fiery explosions echoed around me, sending debris shooting into the air. Guns fired, bullets whizzing around us, tearing into crates, cars, and people with vicious force. Someone flew over the crate I was hiding behind and landed in a crouch next to me. My Beretta flew up, finger on the trigger, ready to eliminate the mystery person until I recognized the balding head. Lee's eyebrows raised as he looked down the barrel of my gun, then our eyes met. I quickly lowered it, while he reloaded his gun.

"I almost just shot you," I grumbled at him. He shrugged nonchalantly. That was the one thing that I had quickly begun to admire about him, even though I had only known him for a few hours. Lee seemed to stay cool, even though I had just had a gun in his face and was prepared to fire. Suddenly, someone else dove around the crate and landed on my other side. Reflexively, my gun shot up again, and Lee's quickly followed.

"You know, I would really appreciate it if you guys didn't shoot me," Ross chuckled. Lowering our guns, I tentatively peeked around the crate and up the street. The group of soldiers was paused at a crossroads, checking behind cars and stands, presumably looking for us. Chaos reined around us, as people screamed and fled from the bullets that echoed from the soldiers guns. The natives left their stands of fruit and goods, and ran for shelter inside dilapidated houses.

"Remind me to smack you later," I growled at Lee. His jaw dropped and his face morphed into a look of complete innocence.

"You've only known me a few hours and jeez, you're already getting violent towards me?. Besides that, I didn't do anything!" Upon hearing this, I shot him a disbelieving look.

"Are you serious right now? You killed that guard right in front of the other three, then let one of them get away and sound the alarm. Now they're on our asses, firing semi-automatic weapons and are determined to kill us!" At that, Lee shrugged again.

"Hey I, uh, hate to interrupt the love fest, but those soldiers are getting closer, their aim is getting a lot better, and I'm running out of bullets." As if to emphasize his point, bullets screamed over our heads, almost hitting Ross. "We gotta move!"

At the count of three, we stood up as one, and fired on the soldiers. The next few moments seemed to be in slow motion. My Berettas felt as light as air as I fired two shots from each. The sounds the guns made as they fired seemed dulled as adrenaline pounded through my veins, dulling everything but my reflexes. I let my training take over, and I easily took out four soldiers, while Ross and Lee took out the other seven. As soon as it had started, it was over. Gunfire ceased, leaving the sounds of people screaming, and general panic. Wispy trails of smoke drifted off of the ends of Ross' colts, and I quickly holstered mine.

"What now? I vote we get the fuck out of here before more of them show up," I suggested. They nodded, and we took off down the dirt road, heading for the harbor and Ross' plane. My feet pounded against the dirt, and I focused on not tripping over any rocks. It had gotten hotter since we had first landed this morning, and now the South American sun beat down, raising the temperature to a sweltering 98 degrees. Sweat poured off me as I ran. As we dodged around people, I caught a flash of metal out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head as I ran past a side street, I noticed a group of soldiers headed towards us, guns at the ready.

"We've got company!" I yelled at Ross and Lee, who were about 10 paces ahead of me. The soldiers quickly rounded the corner behind us and fired, not caring if they hit any civilians. Ross turned right down a street, and me and Lee followed him, bullets kicking up gravel behind us. A single scream echoed, and I felt it rip through me. Even though every fiber of me screamed for me to keep running, I couldn't help myself. I had to see what kind of creature could have possibly made such a heart-wrenching sound. I spun around, and took in the impossible scene before me.

A woman in what looked like her mid-twenties had collapsed in the middle of the street. In her arms, she held a child, a boy about eight years old. At first, it seemed as if nothing was wrong, but then I noticed the front of the child's shirt was soaked in blood. The woman screamed again, a sound that threatened to rip my soul from my body. I could almost feel her pain, the raw agony that she was feeling as she held the dying child in her arms.

As quickly as the pain ran through me, it was gone, leaving only anger behind. I wanted the person responsible for that heinous crime dead. I pulled out my guns, and was just about to sprint for the soldiers when a hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me down the side street.

"Put them away, there's nothing we can do," a soothing voice said in my ear. I put my guns away, and let Ross pull me down the street, away from the woman. We were only about sixty feet from the dock when the soldiers came around the corner. I dropped behind a barrel, out of breath. A stitch had quickly formed in my side, and when combined with the almost unbearable heat, I was exhausted.

"God damn, these guys just don't quit, do they?" I gasped, struggling to get rid of the stitch.

"They want to know how such a good-looking woman managed to kill so many of them," Lee winked roguishly at me, an act that seemed so out of place considering the situation we were in, but managed to make me giggle.

"Ava, Lee, cover me. I'm going to start the plane and get us the hell outta here," Ross ordered. The orders focused me, dragging me away from the nagging pain in my side. I dropped to my knees, and pushed the barrel a few inches to the right, creating just enough space to shoot out of. Lee raced into position to my right.

"I'll take the left half, you take the right," I challenged, and we quickly opened fire. Once we had dropped a few of the soldiers, Ross made a run for it. I couldn't take a few seconds to check if he had made it, I was too busy protecting his ass, but the roar of the engine soon quelled my worries.

"Ava, lets go!" Me and Lee jumped to our feet and hurtled for the plane, still firing at the soldiers. I dove into the plane, landing hard on my side on the warm floor. It tore another gasp from me, and pain blossomed up my side, but it quickly faded. Lee followed, diving in behind me. He barely got the door shut in time before the plane was in motion. I felt the familiar drop in my stomach that signaled we were in the air, and I let myself take a deep calming breath.

"You ok there baby girl?" I heard the gruff voice of Ross ask. I nodded, then let him pull me to my feet. I took a seat on the cot, then let him press a cold bottle into my hand. I snapped off the top and took a deep swig of the beer. I took a quick look around, checking that neither of the men was hurt. Lee was up in the cockpit, feet up on the dash. Ross was next to me on the cot. Thank God he hadn't noticed where Lee's feet were, otherwise I'm sure Ross would be up there kicking Lee's ass for dirtying up his baby.

Digging around in my bag that was under the olive green cot, I pulled out a small picture. It had white lines in it from where it had been folded so many times, and the edges were shredded. The picture was of a man in his forties, and he had a small girl sitting on his shoulders. The picture had been taken when they were in mid laugh, and the girl was holding a stuffed purple penguin in her right hand. I couldn't help but smile. It brought back memories, and it brought back the reason of why I do what I do.

"I still can't believe he's gone," Ross murmured, "he was a good man."

"Yeah, well, life sure as fuck ain't fair. But I would do anything to bring him back," I whispered sadly. Ross' muscled arms wrapped around me, and I rested my head on his shoulder, as the memory of that day came back to me.

*Flashback*

It was Tuesday, July 8th. I could remember every detail about that day, right down to the very minute that the phone rang. I remember picking it up, hoping to hear his voice telling me that he was safe, and that he was headed home. But instead, it was Ross.

"I'm sorry Ava, but the mission went bad." I could hear sadness in his voice, which was strange and alien to me because it was an emotion that Ross rarely let surface. "He's gone."

*End Flashback*

Shaking my head, I snapped back to reality. Taking another swallow of beer to try and get rid of the lump that had formed in my throat, I turned to Ross.

"How long till we're home?"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: So here's chapter 2. Thanks to TC Stark for reviewing! Its still rated M for violence, sexuality, and language so if you don't like it, hit the back button. As usual, I don't own the Expendables, though I wouldn't mind owning Jason Statham :P

I groaned and stretched, then hopped out of the plane. I hated being cooped up for 8 hours.

"Need a ride, baby girl?" Ross asked, and I nodded. I hadn't driven myself here cause my bike was in the shop. Some moron sideswiped it, leaving a long dent in the paint job that I had slaved over. Freaking idiots. I made myself comfy, and the 1955 Ford purred to life. It was Ross' other baby, and he kept it in perfect condition. I was willing to bet that it still ran the same as it did the day he bought it.

The first few minutes of the car ride were silent, but it wasn't awkward. I had known Ross all my life, and he had become like a second dad to me.

"Thanks for bringing me on the mission with you guys. I haven't worked in a while, and it felt good to get back in the groove of things," I finally commented.

"No problem, though it's a pity you didn't get to meet the rest of the crew. If you come and work with me again though, you can," he offered.

"I'd like to, though next time maybe Lee won't set off the alarms. Give him a smack upside the head for me, will ya?" I giggled. He chuckled and nodded. Within a few minutes, we arrived at the apartment complex where I was staying.

"So thanks again." Me and Ross embraced, and he kissed my cheek.

"If you need anything, call me or stop by Tool's shop," he called out the window as I clambered out of the truck and strode up the walkway to the building. Before opening the door, I gave him one final wave. He returned it, and sped off.

I took the stairs up to my apartment (it was only three floors up, so I figured I had the energy left). Fishing my keys out of my pocket, the lock clicked and I entered my apartment. It still felt weird every time I went in after a mission. It felt like it wasn't really mine, like I was entering a strangers home. Taking a quick hot shower, I collapsed on my bed, determined to get some well earned shut-eye.

***At Tool's***

"So who is she, Ross?" Lee asked, leaning against the table that held Tool's tattoo equipment. Tool looked up in question, eager to find out also. Ross sighed, and took a seat on an old rickety folding chair.

"Her name's Ava. I used to work with her father, and when he died he asked if I would take care of her. I tried to keep her from following in her father's footsteps, but she was determined to get revenge on whoever had killed her father. She's had a lot of problems since then, and I'd hate to see anything happen to her." A smile came over his face as he thought about the spit-fire, about the girl who was like a daughter to him. She was one of the few things that had remained constant in his life.

"What about her mother? She must not be too happy with her daughters choice of lifestyle," Tool piped up in a gruff voice.

"Her mother left when she was born. She basically handed Ava to her father when she was two months old, and they never heard from her again," Ross answered, thinking about that day. Eric has been a mess, and had called up Ross.

"I don't know what to do man, I don't know how to take care of a kid," he stuttered into the phone. Ross had done his best to calm him down, then he picked up his sister, and headed over to where Eric was staying. Through the help of Ross and his sister, they managed to get Eric everything he needed. Izzy, Ross's sister, had left him her number and told him to call if he needed _anything._ A smile spread over Ross' face as he remembered the frantic late night phone calls.

"What do you think of her?" Ross asked Lee, eager to get his opinion before he put his proposition out there. Lee's eyes studied the ceiling, and he chewed his lip in thought. After a few moments, he took a swig a beer as if to strengthen himself, and his eyes met Ross's.

"She's a damn good soldier, that's for sure. She knows what she has to do, and she's not afraid to do what needs to be done. And damn, she's a crack-shot with those Berettas," Lee laughed, "I'd hate to have her come after me." Ross nodded.

"You haven't seen her with a knife." At that, Lee's face turned serious.

"No one's better than me." For a moment, tension grew in the shop, then the three men burst into laughter.

"Boy, you better watch that. You still haven't beaten me," Tool laughed. It was true. Even though they barely ever hit the middle of the target, the ornate skull picture that was up on the wall, Tool always got closer. Lee's hand came up, and he made a mocking motion with it. At that, Ross laughed harder. Tool swung around in his chair, somehow knowing that he was the butt of the joke. Lee's hand shot down, and he replaced it with a huge, ridiculous smile. Tool flicked him the bird, then turned back around to finish the drawing of a tattoo he was working on for someone.

"But anyway, do you think we should invite her along on more missions?" Ross asked, the seriousness returning to his voice. Lee looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face. "What?"

"You want her to join the team, don't you?" Lee questioned, his eyes still trained on Ross.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ross shot back quickly, attempting to cover up whatever gave Lee that idea.

"Oh come on Ross, you were never a good liar. You want her to join so that you can keep an eye on her. You said it yourself, that you'd hate to see anything happen to her. So what better way to prevent that then to always have her close by," Lee countered, gesturing to Ross with his beer bottle. Tool chuckled at their argument.

"He's got you there Ross." Ross remained quiet, mulling over what Lee had said.

"I only want her to join the team if she's going to be a good fit and if there's going to be no problems," Ross finally admitted. Lee shot him a look that said 'are you kidding?'

"Man, she's a fine looking woman. There's going to be some problems," Lee chuckled. At that well-placed quip, Tool rounded on him.

"You act as if I'm some kind of man-whore that can't control himself." Ross and Lee burst out into a fit of laughter again. After a few minutes, Ross turned to Lee and managed to speak.

"Get the rest of the guys here, I want to hear what they think."

DISCLAIMER: ok so maybe not the most exciting chapter, but I wanted to kinda get away from the violence filled first chapter, and reveal more about Ava. Hope you liked it, and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: So here's chapter 2. Thanks to everyone for reviewing, its you guys that keep me writing! I apologize for not updating in a while, my life has been hectic the past week. Its still rated M for violence, sexuality, and language so if you don't like it, hit the back button. As usual, I don't own the Expendables, though I wouldn't mind owning Jason Statham :P Oh and anything in italics is a character thinking.

"Man this better be important. You just made me leave two hotties at the bar, and I was just about to take them home," Hale grumbled as he climbed off his bike.

"Hello to you too. Yeah, the mission went fine, no one got hurt, thanks for asking." Lee chuckled at the mans impatience.

"Well you guys are both in one piece with no apparent injuries, so I didn't bother to ask," Hale explained, still with an annoyed look on his face.

"Ever the thoughtless one," the gruff voice of Toll interjected. He climbed off his bike too, closely followed by Yang.

"And I was taking a nap. What is so important that you would dare wake me up?" Yang said in a pretend king voice. Everyone froze, looking at him, then dissolved into laughter. A frown came over the Asian mans face, and he took a seat on the couch, but not before grabbing a beer. Everyone followed suit, grabbing a beer and taking a seat in various chairs that were strewn around the shop. Cleanliness was not one of Tool's strong points, as was evident by the papers covering most of the tables, beer bottles stashed in little nooks and crannies, and the general state of chaos of the shop.

"So, why are we here? Do we have another mission?" Hale butted in, eager to get back to the bar. Ross was silent for a few moments, leaning against his bike, before he started the story.

"So, do you guys remember when I said that there was some joining us on this last mission?" Ross asked. Everyone nodded. "Well her name's Ava."

At this new piece of information, everyone decided to speak up at once.

"Ava?"-"That's a girls name."- "Who is she?"- "Can I meet her?"

"Quiet!" Ross had to yell to be heard. "I've known her since she was a little girl, and yes she does what we do. But she only gets work once in a great while, so I had a proposition for you guys."

Everyone had fallen silent again, eyes trained on Ross. He was the leader, the guy they all looked up to, and it seemed that he always knew what to do, no matter the situation.

"I was thinking about inviting her to join the team." At this, everyone spoke up again.

"Is she hot? Cause if she is, I have no problem with it!" Lee could tell that it was Hale that announced that little fun fact.

"Is she taller then me? Cause if she is, then hell no." That was obviously from Yang.

"I second the fact that she better be hot!" Gunnar rumbled from the corner.

"OY!" Again, Ross had to yell to be heard over everyone. "I was thinking of inviting her to the shop tomorrow night, and see how you guys take to her. If she doesn't work out, then she doesn't work out."

"So…like a trial run?" Toll spoke up. Ross nodded.

"So everyone get here round 7 tomorrow, it'll be like our usual after-mission celebration." Everyone agreed, and left the shop. Yang went back home to sleep, Hale went, presumably, back to the bar, and Toll and Gunnar went and did whatever it is that they do at night.

I groaned, rolling over, and yawned. The nap had been just what I needed. Cracking one eye lazily, I peered over at the clock. It glowed red with the time of 3:36 pm. _Geez, I never sleep that late. _Stretching, I slowly clambered off my bed and checked my phone. It had two new messages. One was from Ross and the other was from Rocket's, my friends garage telling me my bike was ready to be picked up. Hitting speed dial, I held the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" came the gruff voice of Ross. He sounded out of breath, and I figured he had just been working out.

"You rang?" I asked while grabbing fresh clothes to take a shower.

"Yeah. We're having a little welcome back party later tonight at Tool's. You interested in coming?" Ross asked. After thinking about it for a moment, I said yes. "Everyone's coming to the shop around 7." I told him I'd be there, and I hung up. Stretching one more time, I strode into the bathroom for a nice hot shower. About twenty minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom with a damp towel wrapped around me. Changing into a pair of dark jeans and a black Metallica shirt that I had cut up, I proceeded to dry my hair. I had cut the back and sleeves off of the shirt, and tied it around my waist, around my neck like a halter, and in the middle of my back to hide my bra. It showed off my muscular back, but it didn't look trashy. After my hair was dry, I slipped on my black pumas, and left the apartment.

Pausing for a moment on the lawn, I closed my eyes and reveled in the hot sun. It was a nice change from the scorching heat of South America. After a few moments, I made my way down the street, heading for Rocket's to pick up my bike. As I passed by Iron Park, I watched as kids clambered over the play place, and parents stood near by, keeping a close eye on them. Everyone was in a cheery mood, and I couldn't help but feel happy too. I was alive, even if it was only barely so, I had my health, and I was hopefully going to have a fun night.

Strutting up the driveway to Rocket's, I could already hear the music blasting. Johnny never turned off his radio when he was working, claiming that it helped him focus. There was no use arguing with him, seeing as he is the best mechanic around, and a close friend. Upon entering the garage, I saw the man in question lying on the floor, tools scattered around him as he worked on a 2003 Dakota.. I stood in front of him for a moment, waiting for him to notice me, but when he didn't, I playfully kicked his foot. He jerked up off the floor, a look of shock on his face.

"How dare you kick me! I shall have you arrested!" We traded glances for a moment, them burst out in laughter.

"So how's my baby?" I questioned, eager to get her back. I felt as if a part of me was absent when I didn't have it around. Johnny lead me to the back, where he kept the special jobs. Grabbing a hold of a dark green tarp, he whipped it back to reveal my 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle. It was a thing of beauty. It was a dark green, with electric blue flames that came up the sides of the bike and morphed into wolves halfway up the bike. I had painted it myself, spent upwards of 100 hours working on it, and when I saw that scratch in it, I was madder than Lucifer was when they threw him into the pit.

But Johnny had restored it perfectly. He had fixed the dent and the scratch, and repainted the area the exact way it was before.

"Thank God for those pictures you took of it." When I had finished, I had taken pictures of every inch of it. "Without those, I would've had a hell of a time with it." I stayed at the garage until 7is, when I said goodbye to Johnny and hopped on my restored bike. My legs fit perfectly around it, the bike being the perfect height, and it was if the bike was made for me. I started it up, hearing the comforting purr of the engine. Popping my helmet on, I sped down the driveway and onto the main road.

It only took me about 10 minutes to get to Tool's shop. It was on a side street, away from the main road. Pulling up to the front, I turned the bike off, climbed off, and knocked on the door. It was opened within a few seconds by Ross, beer in his left hand.

"Right on time, like usual," he chuckled, "pull your bike around back, I'll open the door." Clambering back onto my bike, I pulled it around back, and through the now open door. It led to a wide open area, with bikes parked along the side. As I parked, I took note of the rest of the place. On one side, there was a motorcycle that had been converted into a chair, with a table next to it that held tattoo supplies. The wall behind it held pictures of most of the tattoos that Tool had done. The walls were covered with posters, some new and some old and torn. The other end of the shop had an old, beat-up couch with a small TV in front of it. I could see a room that connected to the one I was currently in. it held what looked like car and bike parts. One car, an old red one, was up on a lift. Crowded around the table containing the tattoo supplies were Lee, Tool and four other guys.

"So you got the bike back?" Ross asked as he walked towards me. I nodded, keeping my eyes on the other guys as I put my helmet down. They had noticed me the minute I had pulled into the shop. "It looks good as new."

"I'm still ticked at the guy who scratched it. But Johnny was able to perfectly fix it, so I guess no complaints. Is that the rest of the team?" Ross nodded.

"Hey Ava!" Lee walked over and hugged me. Even though I had just met the Brit yesterday, already it was as if we were good friends.

"Beer?" Ross asked, and handed me one. I twisted the top off and took a swig. The guys that were still gathered around the table were still watching me, but now they had started to talk among themselves. Ross and Lee led me over.

"Hey guys this is Ava."

DISCLAIMER: so I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very good. I finally got a chance to finish it because I've been insanely busy this week. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: so here's chapter 4 for all those who are still reading. I again apologize for the long wait in between, school has been hell, and I've been terribly sick. Its still rated M for violence, sexuality, and language so if you don't like it, hit the back button. As usual, I don't own the Expendables, though I wouldn't mind owning Jason Statham :P Oh and anything in italics is a character thinking. Oh and there will be people speaking German in this chapter, but the translations will follow each sentence.

"Hey guys, this is Ava."

For a few moments, no one spoke. I shifted uncomfortably under the onslaught of stares, until one of the men, an Asian man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, stepped forward. He stopped a mere few inches from me, and I looked at him quizzically, wondering why he was so close. He stared at me, concentrating on the top of my head. Finally, he nodded, and returned to his spot around the table. My left eyebrow raised as I shot Ross a confused look.

"Height," he mouthed at me. This just confused me even more. Deciding to ignore it, I looked back at the men gathered around the table.

"Well guys, going to introduce yourselves?" Lee spoke up from next to me. One of the men stepped forward. He was tall, a bit more so than Ross, with a shaved head, and dark chocolate skin. He had a goofy air about him, but I figured that was just a façade.

"I'm Caeser, Hale Caeser," he introduced, and I shook his hand.

"And I'm Bond, James Bond," I laughed. At that, everyone in the room chuckled, and the serious mood lifted. The Asian man who had stepped forward earlier stepped forward again.

"I'm Yang," he said seriously

"Ok question. What was up with the whole standing-two-inches-from-me deal?"

"I'm short," he answered simply. This, of course, confused me again, and I looked to Ross for help.

"Yang here is sensitive about his height. He doesn't like it when people are taller then him," Ross explained.

"Well, good for you, I'm practically a midget, so we won't have any problems." I smiled widely at the Asian. He nodded, and took a drink of his beer. The other two guys stepped forward finally. One was seriously tall, taller than Hale, with shaggy blonde hair and a distinctly foreign look to him. The other one was shorter, but was built. He had broad shoulders and muscular arms. His head was shaved like Hale's, and he had cauliflower ears. The tall one went to speak, but I raised my hand, silencing him.

"Let me guess. You're from Europe, presumably northern, like Sweden. And you," I rounded on the other man, "you were a high school or college wrestler." They both shot a look at each other.

"I'm Gunner Jensen," the tall one said, his accent giving away that I was right. "And yes, I'm from Sweden." I shook his hand, beaming inside that I was indeed right.

"And you are?" I smiled at the other man. He was actually really attractive, even though his ear were a bit funky looking.

"Toll Road." He hung back slightly, not coming as close as the others were. _Odd, I thought, but oh well. Maybe he's just not as comfortable around strangers._ After the introductions, everyone took seats around the messy table.

"So, little lady, I hear you are a crack shot with those Berettas," Tool commented. I had met him when I had first come to the shop to meet Lee, right before we left on the mission we had just come back from. I chuckled.

"Yea I guess I am."

"No guessing about it, you are damn good with those. Where'd you learn?" Lee asked from the chair to my right.

"I used to go to the range with my dad when I was young," I explained.

"Used to? Implying that you don't go anymore?" Tool asked, sliding his cowboy hat off his head to hang around his neck. I shifted slightly in my chair, trying to hide my discomfort at the question. I didn't really like to talk about my dad with complete strangers. Ross, apparently sensing my discomfort, quickly butted in.

"She's also damn good with knives." Tool snorted.

"I'm betting I can beat her, just like I kick Lee's ass every time." This pulled chuckles from all the guys and me.

"You don't kick my ass," he grumbled, mostly to himself. Everyone laughed even harder at that.

"Care to test that little theory out?" I challenged.

"Oh here we go," Hale spoke up.

"Only one condition little lady. No crying if I beat you." With that, me, Tool and Lee all stood up. Tool wheeled his chair behind a white line that had been etched into the cement and took a seat, Lee stood next to me and I joined them.

"Gents first," I smirked at both of them. Christmas' hand flew to his waist then up with the knife in hand and let it fly in one fluid motion. It embedded itself in the outside edge of the ornate Day of the Dead skull picture that hung up on the wall. The bald man sighed as he took in the placement of it. Tools hand drifted down to his boot, and with a small click the blade shot out, and he tossed it underhand. It stuck in the left eye of the picture. Tool shot Lee a haughty look, one that screamed cocky. Lee flicked him off.

"Now, now ladies, play nice," I giggled at the childish like acts. Bending over, I slid my knife out of the holster around my ankle that was hidden by my jeans, and as I stood back up, I flicked it into the air. The blade shot out as if flew straight up, and I caught it in my right hand, my arm sliding fluidly back, then forward and I released the blade. With a dull thunk, it connected with the picture, landing close to the left edge of the right eye.

"Hot damn! I think she beat you Tool," Hale yelped from the table. The men all raced over to the picture to examine it.

"And just like that, Tool looses his crown!" Ross chuckled and pulled my knife out of the picture. With a whistle, Tool gestured to Ross to let him see my knife. He examined it closely, weighing it in his hands. Closing the blade, he tossed it to me.

"Large Espada?" I nodded at his question. "You don't see many women carrying those."

"Well not many women are in my line of work," I smiled smugly at him. He smiled back at me, and we all returned to the table.

'She's my cherry pie, cool drink of water such sweet surprise' suddenly echoed out of my pocket. I fished my phone out of my pocket, and, after checking the caller id, answered it.

"Hello?" I asked, trying to ignore the stares and chuckles of the men._ They were probably weirded out by my ring tone choice. _

"AVA!" the voice on the other end of the line screamed. The hand holding my phone shot away from my ear at the loudness.

"Well hello to you too Tara. And thanks, I almost went deaf."

"Wie gehts(how are you)?" Tara squealed.

"Gut, und du (good and you)?" I laughed at her excitement.

"Ich habe dick gefehlen (I missed you). Willst du heute abend ins club gegangen (do you want to go to a club tonight)?" Tara asked.

"Naturlich mein lieben! Ich bin nicht in meine hause, aber ich um 10 uhr will (of course my love! I am not home right now, but I will be at 10). Ist dass alles ok? (is that ok?)" I asked, trying to ignore the very strange looks the guys were now giving me.

"Naturlich (naturally)! Mochtest du ins Tantric gehen? (go you want to go to Tantric?)," Tara asked.

"Dass hort gut (that sounds good). Ich habe meine motorad, so kannst du fahren? (I have my motorcycle so can you drive?"

"Ja. Siehst du spater! (yes. See you later!)"

"Bis spater! (till later)" With that I hung up. "What?"

"I had no idea that you spoke another language," Ross said. I smiled.

"German, right," Toll asked. At that I nodded.

"Me and my friend Tara learned it in high school, so to keep up and remember it, we use it when we talk to each other," I explained.

"Care to translate what you were saying?" Gunner rumbled.

"She was excited that I was home safe and alive, and she wanted to know if I wanted to go to a club later."

"So, I'm guessing she knows what you do for a living?" Lee finally spoke up. I nodded.

"She's one person I will never keep secrets from." We spent the next hour drinking and talking, getting to know one another. At 9:55, I hopped on my bike, and after waving goodbye to the guys, sped off.

Disclaimer: anywho thanks for reading. REVIEWS WOULD BE AMAZING! Just so I know what's good and what I should change.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Well, here's chapter 5. I really don't want to make excuses about why this took so long, but I just finished my final year of high school, and I've been dealing with finals, AP exams, graduation, and a butt-ton of other things. So I desperately apologize, I hope none of you start up a mob to come after me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, reviews are always enjoyed, its still rated M for sexuality, violence, and language, and I don't own the Expendables.

Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes. My room was pitch black, and I was incredibly thankful for that, seeing as my mouth felt like it had been packed with cotton, and there was a dull ache settling inside my skull. Grasping blindly for my phone, my fingers finally brushed the cool exterior. Pulling it from its hiding spot under my pillow, I punched a button and it lit up, illuminating my room. I quickly shut my eyes at the sudden invasion. After a small adjustment period, I cracked my eyes open enough to see the time. It was 2:27 in the afternoon. Groaning again, I tossed my phone somewhere on my bed, and slowly untangled myself from my sheets. Sliding my feet into my bear slippers, I dug my phone back out and slid it into the waistband of my sweatpants, and headed for the kitchen for some much needed relief.

After popping two Advil, I tossed myself down on the couch in my front room with a bottle of Gatorade. I hadn't gotten home until well past 3 A.M., and by then I had imbibed copious amounts of Jack Daniels, which was the direct cause of the hangover I was now experiencing.

I woke with a start about a hour later, still on the couch, but with my headache gone. Taking a swig of Gatorade, I pulled my phone out and dialed Barney. After the eighth ring, his voicemail clicked in.

"Hey, its me Ava. Just calling to dig some info out of you about last night. Call me back." Climbing back up off of the couch, I decided to get cleaned up and head over to Tool's to see if Barney was there. He often didn't answer his phone if he was. Changing into a pair of jeans, and a black tank top with a plaid flannel button-up over it, I strapped my knife to my ankle, hiding it with my jeans. I slid on my pumas, and grabbed my keys and my helmet before heading down the stairs and out to the garage.

The sun was hiding behind the clouds, making the day bleak and slightly cold as I sped towards the shop. During the ride, I couldn't help but think about the previous night. _Jeez, I hope they liked me. _I hadn't been on a proper job in at least a year, and my other job, occasionally bartending at a local nightclub, just wasn't working. There were too many creeps, and the boss really didn't like it if you break their wrist after they grope you. With that thought, I rounded the corner and drove smoothly up into the garage that was attached to Tool's tattoo shop.

Tool seemed to be the only one there, and he looked up at me from the tattoo he was drawing as I slid smoothly off my bike and set my helmet on the seat.

"What can I do for you, pretty girl?" Tool smiled up at me as I walked towards him, tucking my hands in the back pockets of my jeans.

"I called Ross, but he didn't answer, so I figured he might be here. And now here I am. Is he here?" Tool shook his head.

"He was here about 2 or 3 hours ago, but he left for a meet after I got a call about a job," Tool explained, figured that it was ok to tell Ava about the meet, seeing as she was a member of the team. The roar of an engine approaching behind me drew my attention, and I turned to see Christmas riding into the garage, and parking next to mine. I was immediately attracted to what he was riding, and I had to take a closer look.

"Not bad Lee, not bad," I smiled at him. He cocked his eyebrow at me.

"Oh yeah thanks Ava, I can just feel the sarcasm. As if I don't get enough crap from the other guys about it."

"You know, I'm actually serious. I was actually considering getting a Ducati, but I opted for my Yamaha. Hmm," I slowly circled it again, making a few mental notes of the bike. "I'm betting for… Superbike 1198 S Corse?" I looked back up at him. A look of surprise flitted across his face, before quickly being replaced with a cocky half smile.

"Close, but you're missing something. It happens to be the special edition."

"Oh no! Please forgive me!" I shot back at him, chuckling. Tool roared with laughter behind me.

"Common children, behave," Tool grinned, before going back to working on a tattoo. Another roar signaled the approach of another of the mercs, and 4 more motorcycles rumbled into the shop, and parked next to my and Lee's rides. Yang, Gunnar, Hale and Toll all exited their bikes, and each man went his own separate way; Gunnar and Hale both went for the cooler that sat next to the beat up couch on the other side of the shop, Yang sat down on the couch, and Toll joined me and Lee at the table that Tool was working at.

"I see you're still alive after your clubbing last night," Hale commented as he came to stand next to the table, newly opened beer in hand.

"Haha I was a little hung-over, but I'm tough enough to survive," I grinned.

"What, too many fruity martinis?" Christmas shot back at me, clearing trying to get me back from my early retorts.

"Dude, the day I see this girl with a martini in her hand, is the day I die and Armageddon begins," Ross suddenly voiced from behind me. I jumped slightly, seeing as for some reason I hadn't heard his bike pull up. Ross came up to stand next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and hugging me.

"Damn straight. I prefer drinking Jack or Jim," I said, hugging Ross back.

"Ahh a whiskey girl. I could definitely see you drinking that instead," Toll added. I couldn't help but look over at him, seeing as this was pretty much maybe the third time I had heard him speak. _He is seriously good-looking. _I groaned inwardly at the though. _Now is definitely not the time to be getting the hots for a guy I just met. _

"Ok, ok, enough harassing the newbie, whatcha got for us Ross?" Tool piped up from the end of the table. Hale, Gunnar, and Yang joined us from where they had been crowded around the beer cooler.

I talked to the contact, and he said that there is a group of irate pirates in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia who are holding a group of hostages that work for a company here in the U.S."

"If they work for a company here, then what are they doing being kidnapped by pirates in Somalia?" I piped up.

"The company does mining in Somalia; apparently they are a big part of the black market in Africa," Ross explained.

"So it's safe to assume, with them being pirates, that this involves getting out to a ship," Christmas asked. Ross nodded.

"They are stowed away on a ship in the Gulf. They are demanding $8 million dollars from the company, but they don't think that the 9 hostages are worth that much, so they are only going to pay $5 million. We are to infiltrate the ship, offer them the money, and if they refuse to let the hostages go, we free them ourselves." Everyone nodded, despite the underlying threat that they would most likely have to kill the pirates.

"One last thing. Ava." Ross turned to me. "You are invited to come along, if you want."

"You mean, if she thinks she's tough enough to handle it," Christmas chided.

"Christmas, it's ok, I know I'm tougher than you, so I'm coming along. Someone has to watch your ass and make sure you don't set off the alarms this time," I shot right back at him, grinning. Everyone laughed, even Ross.


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: So yeah, finally here's chapter 6. I do have excuses about why its taken me so long, but I've finally gotten my muse for this story back, so without further ado, here's chapter 6. As always, reviews are what keep me going, this is rated M for violence, language and sexuality, and I don't own the Expendables, although I would still love to have Jason Statham.

Looking at everything that was laid out on my bed, I went through a mental checklist for the third time that morning. It was 10 a.m. and I had to be at the airstrip where Barney kept his plane in a half hour. Finally satisfied that I had everything, I packed it all into a black duffel bag. Slipping my shoes on, I grabbed my keys and my helmet, slid the duffel over my shoulders, and headed down to the garage. Sliding easily onto my bike, I adjusted the bag to sit comfortably on my back, and slowly pulled out onto the main street.

I drove carefully to the airstrip, not wanting to give the cops any reason to pull me over. If they did, they would most likely search my bag, and I had enough illegal weapons in there to probably get life behind bars. After a fifteen minute drive, I pulled into the hangar. Most of the guys were already there, except Barney and Gunnar. Parking my bike next to the rest, I headed to the table around which the rest of the guys were huddled.

"Oh please, do not tell me that you are going dressed like that," Christmas groaned, once he had gotten a good look at me. I looked down at my clothes than back up at him. I was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Of course not. What do you think I am, an idiot? I didn't come in my gear, because lets be honest, I'm sure that that wouldn't look suspicious to the two cops that I saw on the drive here," I shot back. Looking around at the rest of the guys, I noticed that they all had black bags similar to mine, but they were all wearing some form of black pants and shirts.

"Come on brother, I'm sure that Barney wouldn't have let her come along if she was a total idiot," Hale grinned down at me. I couldn't help, but laugh.

"Oh, so that's how its gonna be. Everyone gang up on the tiny one."

"Well at least it's a change of pace for me," Yang spoke up from across the table. That got everyone laughing.

"There's a bathroom over there, if you want to change," Toll interjected, gesturing across the murky building to a faded white door.

"Thanks," I smiled up at the former wrestler, before grabbing my bad and jogging over to the room. Once I was inside, and the door was safely locked, I quickly stripped, and slid on a pair of snug fitting cargo pants that I had turned into skinny jeans at the bottom, and a black long-sleeved underarmor shirt. I stuffed my clothes into the bottom of the bag, and checked again to make sure that I had my holsters, plenty of ammunition, a few knives, and a vest. Looking up, my eyes locked on my reflection, and my stomach felt like it had jumped into my throat. Running my hand nervously through my hair, I yanked a hair tie off of my wrist, and secured my hair into a messy ponytail. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm the nerves that had been slowly growing throughout the whole day.

_I need to calm down. Being nervous is only going to make me mess up and get someone hurt._ Pulling the familiar picture out of a pocket on my bag, I gently unfolded it. It was the picture of me and my dad, the same picture that I always took when I was going on a mission. It was like my lucky charm, my worry stone, so much so that even when my nerves got the best of me, to the point where I was shaking, it still managed to calm me down. Not even a shot of 80 proof Wild Turkey could do that to me.

Seeing that picture reminded me of why I was here. _Don't worry Dad, this'll all end one day._ Folding the picture back up, I slid it into my back pocket. Grabbing my bag, I reached for the doorknob. Quickly opening it, I took a few steps out and ran smack into Barney. His hands shot up to my shoulders, steadying me before I fell over.

"You ok, baby girl? The guys said that you had been in there for a while," Barney commented, worry invading his face. I smiled up at him doing my best to not let my nerves take control.

"Oh yeah, don't worry, I'm fine," I managed to grin up at him. "Is it time to go?"

I groaned inwardly, standing up and stretching. We had been in the air for almost eight hours, with another hour still to go.

"What's wrong girl, can't handle a plane?" Christmas grinned at me from the seat across from me. I stuck my tongue out at him, slightly irritated. I hated being cooped up, with not much room to move around in, especially for long periods of time. It had been a mostly quiet plane ride, with the guys mostly keeping to themselves. Yang and Hale were in the back part of the plane cleaning their guns, Barney was up front making sure we got where we were going, and Toll was sitting in the seat next to me.

"So what kind of firepower did you bring, Ava?" Barney asked, craning around in his seat to look at me. I grinned up at him.

"I brought my baby of course." Leaning down, I fished my bag out from under the seat, and opened it up. Pulling out another case from inside it, I set it on my lap, and opened that. Pulling out the gun from inside, I held it up proudly for display.

"Heckler and Koch MP5K-PDW. Fully automatic, red dot sight, extended barrel and folding stock. Just the right size." At the mention of guns, the rest of the guys had crowded around.

"You good with that?" Hale asked. Barney snorted from up front.

"Lets put it this way brother. This girl has played entirely too much Call of Duty in her lifetime, and the first time I took her to the firing range, she hit the target almost every time. In the past five years, I don't think I've ever seen her not hit something that she was trying to hit," Barney explained. "Speaking of shooting, wheels down in Aden in 20 minutes. Suit up."

Disclaimer: Ok slightly boring, but I'm just trying to get back in the swing of this story. I promise lots of action in the next few chapters, and please review! It'll help me get the next chapters up even quicker.


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